“There is no truth to this story”: Whoop founder calls out Alan Shipnuck for ‘inaccurate reporting’ on recent statement about Rory McIlroy

Statements about Rory McIlroy being included in Alan Shipnuck's book "LIV and Let Die" have raised quite a stir. Even the founder and CEO of Whoop had something to say about it, and it was not good at all. "There is no truth to this story," he stated.

Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of wearable technology company Whoop, came out against claims published in "LIV and Let Die" that McIlroy was sponsored by the company at the behest of the PGA Tour.

Ahmed's statement was made on his personal X (former Twitter) account, responding to a NUCLR GOLF post that quoted what was published in the book.

The Whoop CEO wrote the following on X:

"There is no truth to this story. I would know as I run whoop. Furthermore, Rory and his team are all class - one of the best not just in golf but all of sports. Inaccurate reporting."

Journalist Alan Shipnuck responded to this comment with a post on the same social network, saying he tried to do fact-checking on the matter with Rory McIlroy's manager.

This is what Shipnuck wrote on his X account:

"I asked McIlroy’s manager Sean O’Flaherty to fact-check that passage and the only comment he would give me is, 'Has the Ryder Cup teammate been drinking?' It’s in the book."

Whoop is a company that produces fitness trackers. These devices are widely used by athletes and they are officially permitted in several sports leagues, including the LPGA Tour and the PGA Tour.

Whoop devices are very popular in golf. The likes of Rory McIlroy, Nelly Korda, Tiger Woods, and Justin Thomas are known to use them.

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What does Alan Shipnuck's book say about Rory McIlroy?

In his book "LIV and Let Die, Alan Shipnuck included the opinions of a player whose name he did not publish, although he said he is currently a member of LIV Golf and was once Rory McIlroy's Ryder Cup teammate.

Claims that McIlroy has been favored by the PGA Tour for sponsorships were included in this source's statements. This was part of what was published on "LIV and Let Die" (via Today's Golfer):

"Did you know that when Whoop wanted to do a deal with the PGA Tour, the Tour insisted that Rory be one of the endorsers? He was given a $10 million equity stake that is now worth $200 million."

According to Alan Shipnuck's book, the same unnamed source claimed that McIlroy got his NBC deal the same way, i.e., with the backing of the PGA Tour. The source also claimed that McIlroy is only defending the tour to maintain those privileges.

The book also published opinions of other players such as Max Homa and Adam Scott that showed another image of the Northern Irishman.